It’s good to see bridge project back on track

The story involving efforts to replace the Vrooman Road bridge is a long one. But it looks like the project is finally going to get started. The Ohio Department of Transportation on Aug. 28 announced the upcoming construction of the new Vrooman Road bridge.

Building of the foundations and piers is expected to begin in mid-September, according to an ODOT news release.

The project involves replacing the existing bridge with a high-level span on a new alignment over the Grand River in Perry and Leroy townships, along with resurfacing Vrooman between the new structure and Interstate 90.

“We are pleased to be working in partnership with ODOT District 12 to complete this much-needed project,” said Lake County Engineer Jim Gills.

If you want to talk about an infrastructure project that’s long overdue, the replacement of the Vrooman Road Bridge would be a classic example.

On Jan. 27, 2009, the Lake County Engineer’s Office sponsored a public meeting on the Vrooman Road Bridge replacement project at the Leroy Community Center.

One section of a Power Point presentation from that meeting stated that “The Lake County Engineer’s Office, in conjunction with ODOT and the project stakeholders, have initiated preliminary engineering and environmental studies to identify the ‘Preferred’ replacement alternative for the structurally deficient and functionally obsolete Vrooman Road Bridge over the Grand River.”

That same presentation showed how long efforts had been made to replace the Vrooman Road Bridge, the current version of which was built in 1952. In fact, it was way back in the early 1960s when a Vrooman Road Bridge replacement study was initiated and completed, but the actual project was delayed because of a lack of funding.

Fast forward to the 21st century and the prospect of a new Vrooman Road bridge looked promising in March 2015, when the Ruhlin Co. started work on the project. But progress was halted just three months later as the county awaited the necessary environmental permits to proceed in an area involving wetlands and the scenic river.

Ruhlin sued the county for breach of contract and negligence, alleging that the Engineer’s Office did not heed its warnings to apply for the permits at least a year before work was to begin.

ODOT took the reins of the project after the county settled a lawsuit with Ruhlin in late 2016.

It’s always good to see a spirit of cooperation between state and local governments on important projects, and ODOT and Lake County are showing how it’s done with recent developments on the Vrooman Road Bridge project.

As ODOT District 12 Deputy Director Myron Pakush explained, ODOT’s strong working relationship with the Lake County Engineer’s Office has allowed the state department to finalize the construction plans and permitting requirements so work can begin.

“While there were many challenges addressed throughout the long history of this project’s development, we are confident this project will provide many benefits to the travelers of Lake County for many years in the future,” he said.

The new northern end of the bridge will be at Route 84 and Lane Road. This design was selected as the preferred alternative because it addresses all four deficiencies along the Vrooman Road corridor, officials say.

These shortcomings include the substandard conditions of the existing bridge, substandard roadway geometrics, documented safety issues associated with crash patterns through this corridor and insufficient connectivity to eastern Lake County during unexpected highway closures.

The current bridge has been inaccessible from the north since March 22, when Vrooman was closed permanently between Mason’s Landing Park entrance and Route 84. The closure resulted from safety concerns about a retaining wall on the west side of Vrooman.

The bridge was closed temporarily in 2016 for repairs after damage was discovered, likely from oversized vehicles. When it reopened, it had been reduced to one lane and traffic signals were added at either end.

With the history of roadblocks that have been thrown into the path of efforts to replace the Vrooman Road bridge, we are not prepared to celebrate until we see the new bridge completed and officially open to vehicle traffic. Even so, we want to commend ODOT, Lake County and other area government officials who have helped bring this bridge to what looks like a new and promising starting point.